"Buck Barry" was an entertainer and announcer on WOOD television and radio in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Chicago native had been a wrangler and rider with Col. Tim McCoy's Wild West Show in 1938, and also had small roles in Gene Autry movies during the 1940s.

Beginning in 1953, Buck shared the television spotlight at WOOD-TV with the puppet characters of Dick Tillstrom, brother of Burr who had already created "Kukla, Fran, and Ollie". As the 'genuine cowpoke' in the children's program "Westward Ho Ho", Buck advised a cast of bumblers on their first ranch. From 1955 to 1969, he had his own very popular children's program, the "Buckaroo Rodeo", which included a live audience, and offered games, prizes, rope tricks, yodeling, and Popeye cartoons. He often made personal appearances with his horse Thunder at regional events, and was known for his charity work and visits to children's hospitals. He always dressed in high cowboy style, even when performing on the radio or attending mass at St. Jude's, and he even drove a Cadillac customized with his name insignia. He also recorded two songs: "Blue Prairie" and "The Lord's Prayer."

Riders In The Sky, the well-known Cowboy revival band, acknowledge Buck Barry as an influence. Their bass fiddle player, Fred "Too Slim" LaBour, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, credits Buck as a childhood idol and yodelling coach who inspired the band's tricky 3-part yodel on their original song, "Here Comes The Santa Fe".

Buck retired to El Paso, TX, where he lived for 25 years, and passed away at 80 years of age, preceded by his wife, Violet. After his death, the Public Museum of Grand Rapids honored him with a retrospective exhibit from 1997 to 1999 which included a video of his children's TV program, his cowboy costumes, boots, saddle, lariat, six-guns, and memorabilia.

References:

Obituary from the El Paso Times, Saturday, Dec. 6, 1997.

"It's the Cowboy Way!: The Amazing True Adventures of Riders in the Sky" by Don Cusic, 2003.

"Singing in the Saddle: The History of the Singing Cowboy" by Douglas B. Green, 2002.

"Hi There, Boys and Girls!: America's Local Children's TV Shows" by Tim Hollis, 2001.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Born Chester Joseph Dziurkiewicz to Joseph Dziurkewicz and Stanislawa (Estelle or Stella) Burowna (Bury). He started using his mother's Anglicized maiden name professionally before he went into the service, and his father used it as well. According to Social Security records, he officially changed his name to Chester J Bury in 1947, changing it again in 1958 to Buck J Barry.